Q1 of 12 Page 120

Imagine you are journeying through a desert. Write a couple of paragraphs describing what you see and hear.

A Golden Opportunity to visit the Thar!


The Great Indian Desert situated in the state of Rajasthan is a large area full of sand. Being a natural border between India and Pakistan, it is located in the Northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent.


A desert full of sand dunes in all the four corners has its own beauty altogether. Full of Cactus plants and Camels, it is a place worth visiting which is the most densely populated desert in the world (83%).


Although reading in books and on the internet is quite interesting to know, the challenging life in such a scarce place with limited resources is very difficult. Watching the women carrying ‘matkas’ on their head in search of water as well as the kind of arid atmosphere of the entire place shows the beauty as well as the difficulties people living there encounter in their everyday chores.


NOTE – The above-given account of the Thar Desert is just an example. Students can make their piece of writing much more interesting by adding in their personal experiences of the same place or some other desert they have visited.


More from this chapter

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1

Look at these sentences.

● Most snakes are quite harmless, but a few are poisonous.


● Most snakes lay eggs, but the rattlesnake gives birth to its young.


Now write five sentences like these using ‘most’ and the clues below.


1.(90% of) people are honest (10%) are dishonest. _________________


2.(Lots of) fruit have plenty of sugar, (some) citrus fruit are low in sugar. _________________


3. (Every soft drink except this one) has lots of ‘empty calories’. _________________


4. (The majority of) films are romances, (a few) are on other topics. _________________


5. (A majority of) people agree that he is a good leader, (just a few) disagree. _________________

 2

Look at these sentences.

● Animals cannot survive for long without water.


● So desert animals have to find different ways of coping.


The first sentence says what cannot happen or be done; the second tells us what must, therefore, be done, what it is necessary to do.


Complete these sentences using cannot and have to/has to.


1. You __________ reach the island by land or air; you ___________ go by boat.


2. We __________ see bacteria with our eyes; we ___________ look at them through a microscope.


3. He __________ have a new bicycle now; he _________ wait till next year.


4. Old people often ___________ hear very well; they __________ use a hearing aid.


5. Road users __________ do what they wish; they ___________ follow the traffic rules.


6. She _________ accept this decision; she ____________ question it.


7. You __________ believe everything you hear; you ______________ use your own judgment.

 1

Who is the speaker in the poem?

 1

With your partner list out the happenings the speaker is worried about.